The fire started in one of the homes and quickly spread to others nearby. At one point another fire broke out a block away and residents all grabbed shovels and their own hoses to help keep the fire contained until firefighters arrived.

Officials say strong winds and weak hydrants made it tough to keep up with the fire. “I know the initial hydrants we had really were insufficient water for the type of fire we were facing,” Lawrence Fire Chief Jack Bergeron said.

“The house just caught on fire and started spreading through my backyard. We all ran out of there,” one resident said.